Today we’d like to introduce you to Wesley Johnson.
Hi Wesley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
What began as just a conversation amongst friends participating in the Leadership Harnett program turned into a business idea. We recognized that Dunn was missing a family-friendly nightlife option that not only served its residents but also invited visitors to see why so many people have called Dunn home for many, many years. We went about piecing together the business plan for a brewery, restaurant, and entertainment venue in the heart of Dunn.
We located a building and began a conversation with the owner about the concept. With their support and the assistance of numerous advisors and service providers, we have now brought to life the first community-owned and directed brewery/restaurant/entertainment venue in the region.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We are still in the midst of converting community support into the finances needed to see the project come to fruition. Given the strategic location of Dunn and the growth that is spanning out from Raleigh, the support has been enthusiastic and nearly universal. While familiarity with the nature of crowdfunding has been an educational component of the venture I would not deem it an obstacle but rather an opportunity to inform community members on how they can directly drive the economic development of their community.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve become known as a multiprenuer which is an entrepreneur that is involved in multiple ventures simultaneously rather than sequentially like a serial entrepreneur. My education and work experience has been around both science and entrepreneurship. I’ve found the benefits of starting, running, and/or participating in a small business to be quite rewarding. I regularly assist others with starting or improving their businesses as well. I currently am involved in 4 businesses with at least a couple more actively in the works.
My oldest business is an IT/Business consultancy named TEcHonfidence through which I work with my business partner to serve businesses and individuals alike with services around computers, websites, digital systems, marketing, and general business strategy. I am also COO of East Coast Hemp Supply which was one of the first hemp farms in NC and a key supplier/marketplace/advocate for the industry on the eastern seaboard of the US. We’re actively expanding into hemp fiber manufacturing and other emerging cannabis markets.
I also work as an environmental consultant for Wetland Solutions where we provide environmental permitting services for the numerous residential, commercial, and utility developments taking place in central and eastern NC. Beyond that, there is also Grain Dealers Brewery as a crowdfunded community-owned brewery/restaurant/entertainment venue. There are a couple of other items in the works that include a commissary kitchen/ghost kitchen/food processing center as well as a public park.
What matters most to you?
Community development, community ownership, and community pride. I grew up in Dunn, spent time in Durham and Winston Salem for high school & college, and then traveled overseas to New Zealand for my two Masters. During that time I represented my small hometown and became more familiar with what I did and did not like about it. I am now actively working to assist my community to realize and directing the inevitable growth that is coming to our historic and centrally located community.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@graindealersbrewery.com
- Website: www.InvestInDunn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graindealersdunn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrainDealers
- Other: www.GrainDealersBrewery.com
Image Credits
Anna Scott Cross Graphics
